In no particular order, Angela Hunt is a novelist, a nana, teacher, mother, wife, mastiff owner, reader, musician, student, aspiring theologian, apprentice baker, and bubble gum connoisseur. The things that enter her life sooner or later find their way into her books, hence "a life in pages."

Friday, January 05, 2007

BOM: A Gift for Grandpa

The other day someone asked me about writing children's books and I had to point out that there are several different kinds, and each has its own "blueprint." There's a vast different between picture books, read-alouds, chapter books, and illustrated story books. All of the books I've featured this week are picture books (32 pages, equal balance between words and text, designed to be read to children).

I wrote A Gift for Grandpa when I wanted a way to illustrate that God supplies our financial needs . . . usually in unexpected ways. So I came up with a little boy who lives with his grandparents. They really need a new horse, but there's no way they can afford one, so they decide to get Grandpa a watch chain for his birthday.

As they sit on the front porch, a variety of people come by--all of them with a need, which Grandma is happy to fill. But in filling that need, Grandma is blessed, and by the end of they day they have a new horse . . . and the perfect way to get Grandpa the watch chain they wanted to give him for his birthday.

I actually made a big mistake in the first draft of this--I had Grandma come up with the bright idea at the end of the book. But then I caught my mistake--in children's books, the CHILD should always be the one who solves his problem. After all, he or she is the protagonist.

A Gift for Grandpa is out of print, but you can still find copies available on Amazon. It will always be one of my favorite stories because even though it's fiction, it's very true. :-)

3 comments:

I feel so silly for asking this, but I've wondered why some of your books will say Angela Hunt, while others say Angela Elwell Hunt. Is it the different publishers? I just noticed that at least the last two picture books have your full name, and usually your historical and "fantasy" (eg The Immortal) do as well, but then your contemporary ones tend to have just your first and last.

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About Me

In no particular order, Angela Hunt is a novelist, teacher, nana, mother, wife, mastiff owner, reader, musician, student, aspiring theologian, photographer, and bubble gum connoisseur. The things that enter her life sooner or later find their way into her books, hence "a life in pages."